An Angel, a Book and a CRock of Gold: The Staffordshire Hoard and the Kingdom of Mercia

A lecture to be given in Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 6 March at 10.30am, by Dr Gareth Williams, Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum.

The Staffordshire Hoard was found near Lichfield in July 2009, and has made headlines as the largest ever find of Anglo-Saxon gold. The exact date of the hoard is uncertain, but a late 7th-century date seems likely. This corresponds with the emergence of Mercia as one of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and the establishment of a bishopric at Lichfield, in the heart of the Mercian kingdom. Dr Gareth Williams considers what the hoard tells us about Anglo-Saxon society at the time, and how it fits in with other Anglo-Saxon treasures from the region such as the St Chad Gospels and the Lichfield Angel.

Dr Gareth Williams studied History at the Universities of St Andrews and Bergen. He has been Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum since 1996, and much of his work is concerned with Anglo-Saxon and Viking hoards. His research interests include various aspects of the Anglo-Saxon period, including wealth and status, kingship, and warfare. He also has a particular interest in Staffordshire, as since 2002 he has been director of the Tutbury Castle research project, a partnership between the British Museum, Tutbury Castle and the University of Birmingham.

Come and hear the exciting story of its discovery and its potential to transform our understanding of the origins of the Kingdom of Mercia. Dr Gareth Williams will explore the relationship of the Hoard to the Cathedral's existing Anglo-Saxon treasures, the St Chad Gospels and the Lichfield Angel.

Tickets cost £10.00 (£5 concessions) and can be purchased from the Book and Gift Shop.

Proceeds will be divided between the Art Fund's campaign to acquire the Hoard and Lichfield Cathedral's campaign to restore its East End, including the Herkenrode Glass.

Image courtesy of the Staffordshire Hoard website.